We’ve all been inundated with the following message which preaches Bigger is Better. When it comes to ads for bigger is better the following commercials have been sighted by yours truly:

• Bigger is better! TV ad for BoFlex machine stating women love men with bigger pecs.
• Bigger is better! Spam ad(s) for pills designed to increase the size of your manhood because women aren’t satisfied with an average size guy.
• Bigger is better when it comes to horsepower! Articles and ads for the latest big-bore bikes.

And of course, we’re all supposed to know, that surgically enhanced models are better looking than their non-surgically enhanced counterparts. At least according to all the ads and images we see in most every bike related magazine!

The bottom line is, we as human beings, specifically the male variety, are sold a bill of goods everyday of our lives which states: “If it ain’t big, it ain’t bad! And if you’re not bad, you will be ignored by those you want to impress most. From the ladies to your fellow motorcyclists.”

I was chatting with Aaron Frank, editor at large for Motorcyclist magazine the other day and I posed the question why is it that all the bike manufacturers continue to build bigger horsepower bikes when in all reality a rider can only use about half of their potential? We had a good laugh and decided it had a whole lot more to do with bragging rights than it does with practicality.

Within the world of motorsports, bragging rights are often more important than having a bike you can enjoy riding on a daily basis. The idea that you need 165 horsepower to propel yourself down the highways and byways safely much less sanely isn’t even a question. You don’t. So, if you let me play the devil’s advocate for a moment, I want to challenge this notion.

First and foremost bigger is not always better. Proof: Just ask someone who has gone from a size 34 inch waist to a size 44 inch waist.

Lets do a reality check, when you can only afford one bike and you aren’t financially set like Jay Leno, you have to ask yourself what bike will meet the following criteria:

• It must be affordable.
• It must handle well in the city as well as the highways and by-ways.
• It needs to be comfortable
• It needs to be easy to maintain and it must be cost effective to own as in insurance costs and fuel.

So what bike fits into this category? I don’t have any brand or class in mind but what I do know is that this all-purpose bike won’t be the latest big-bore king with oodles of excess horsepower on tap which requires its rider to keep the bike in check at every turn of the throttle.

It will most likely be a far tamer version designed to give its rider the most enjoyment and all around riding pleasure the rider could hope for on their given budget. I have a hunch most of you already own one of these bikes, which serves your riding needs best.

Often perception is all in the eye of the beholder; namely the rider’s mind. Bike manufacturers build big-bore bikes for one purpose only and that is to prove to their rivals that they can! It is all about bragging rights. Otherwise AMA racing wouldn’t exist as it does today where the average racer sits on a hundred thousand dollar machine, not your mid level street machine. Bike companies spend millions of dollars to prove they have the latest and greatest which encompasses horsepower ratings. It is in the manufacturer’s best interest to make you dissatisfied with what you already own. Because they can continue to sell you a new bike and keep their businesses growing.

Which is kind of the whole point behind this article. We as human beings can get so caught up dreaming about and craving what we don’t have, that we forget to enjoy what we already do have. We can’t enjoy the wife or husband we have because we are always comparing them to the individuals on the TV screen or computer screen or some magazine we are looking at.

We can’t enjoy the house we live in if we are fixated on what Bill Gates owns. And we certainly won’t enjoy our current all-purpose bike when we’re panting after the latest and greatest monster bike.

The secret to a happy life is learning to live with who you are and making the most of what God has given you. It’s learning to enjoy the bike you already own and spending as much time riding instead of dreaming and scheming for the next big bike.

Lastly, don’t get the idea that I hate big-bore bikes I don’t. They’re fun to read about and look at but I don’t need one to enjoy the experience of being on the road with the wind in my face.

And since I gave up the idea of an acting career, I don’t need those pills either.

Here’s to enjoying your bike no matter what size it is!

Lately I’m going through a 70’s revival of sorts. I’ve been revisiting the music, TV shows and the movies of this era. Namely, Soul/Disco music and various movies that broke with tradition. It most likely stems from my 30 year high school reunion that I attended this past June. I’m not the only one; ABC TV has a new show called Life on Mars: A cop show set in 1973 with a few twists added for good measure.

As a kid I spent my early teens riding on the back of my friends’ trail bikes, converting my Sears 3 speed into a pre-BMX bike with my own custom paint job thanks to Krylon paints. I learned how to repair bent rims and replace forks destroyed while doing Evel Knievel jumps. I dreamed of owning a muscle car when I turned 16.

By the time I turned 16 and began driving, I only had one choice and that was to drive my folks 1971 Mazda 1800 four door. After a year of driving it and wrecking it numerous times, I felt compelled to buy it from them my Junior year. (I got pretty good at doing body work!) At the same time some of my friends were buying Muscle Cars. My best friend, Bert, bought a Graber Orange 69 375HP SS Chevelle with a black vinyl top, 4 speed the works. Another friend, Mike, owned a 64 Dodge Polara with a beefed up 383 which rattled the windows of our home when he came to pick me up. Thanks to the Cherry Bombs we bolted directly to the headers he put on the engine!

Even though I dreamed of one day buying my own muscle car, by the time it came to buying a car I couldn’t afford one so I opted to buy what I could afford (my folks car). In turn I set about making it the best ride I could, beginning with the purchase and installation of a “Super Tuner” Style Cassette Deck, Amplifier and set of Jenson Tri-axials. This made for one heck of a killer sound system and made for some of the best music powered road trips one could imagine.

The choice was always between 1) do we take Steve’s car because I had the best stereo and could stretch our gas money or 2) do we take my buddies’ cars because they had the most power and looked hot? Many times it came down to how much money we had in our collective pockets and we wanted to do. Cruise or race, park or take a road trip. The money I saved in fuel costs allowed me and another friend to take a road trip from Ferndale, WA to Disneyland during Christmas Break my Senior year, this included hotel rooms and everything else two guys needed for 10 days of adventure.

As kids, nobody disrespected each other because of our choice of rides. Instead we talked endlessly of what we were going to buy to make our rides faster and or look cooler. We spent endless hours cruising and parking and pouring over Hot Rod and just enjoying the freedom of owning our very own cars.

Within this same time period I also lived in two musical worlds; one was listening to Rock Music as in Foghat’s “Slow Ride” blaring out of the speakers of my buddy’s SS as we pegged the speedometer at 120 MP on those back country roads. The other was Disco music which I enjoyed dancing to at the under age Disco in Bellingham. I even took my first girl friend out dancing on our first date to the Disco.

What’s this got to do with motorcycles? An awful lot. Instead of embracing each others’ rides, we end up many times disrespecting each others’ rides. Instead of supporting the individuality of each other, we draw lines. Instead of accepting that not all riders are financially equal with an endless supply of money to work with, we look down on those who ride “lesser” bikes. Instead of unifying over our similarities we divide over our differences.

The only times I have seen lines crossed is when it comes to raising money for a great cause or joining together on a Toy Run or a Ride for Life, then bikers of all stripes, colors and conformities join arms and ride together. In these cases the cause is bigger than the differences and there in lies the truth. When we begin to see each other as a family of motorcycle riders we will start to respect each other and support each other. The simple fact that bike owners are only 2% of the US population should make us realize we are a small family indeed and we have so much more in common than not.

There’s a great song from Sly and the Family Stone that we can apply to our lives as riders. It’s their 1971 hit “Family Affair” which goes something like this: “one son likes education and the other doesn’t, but the mother still loves them both, because they are the same blood and blood is thicker than mud, because it’s a Family affair.”

So whether you ride a cruiser an adventure or a sport bike you are all bike riders and that makes you a member of the cycling family which in turn makes us brothers and sisters of sorts. Just keep in mind what another Sly Stone song stated; “different strokes for different folks”

Oh, and for the record I did end up purchasing a Muscle car in 1989, a 1968 number matching SS 396 El Camino which currently sits in the driveway waiting for the day I can afford to restore it!

Steve Johann

This past year has been one of thrills and chills economically. The cycle industry saw a huge downturn in sales with the exception of scooters which were very prevalent at this years Seattle International Motorcycle Show. Interestingly enough it was the introduction of the Honda C100 Super Cub to America back in 1958 that kick started motorcycle sales within a very stagnant motorcycle market. Quite possibly the interest in scooters by non-enthusiasts will do the same for the current stagnant American motorcycle market and within the next few years we will see a huge demand for mid to large sized bikes by theses current scooter purchasers. For a great historical overview of the Honda Motorcycle Company we will be interviewing Aaron Frank, author of Honda Motorcycles on Hog Radio in the next month.

Speaking of Hog Radio we just celebrated one year of podcasting this past November. It’s hard to believe Walt and I have been doing this for a year but we have. As part of the show, I took advantage while on a summer vacation to Southern Cal to visit a number of legends within the biking world. You can read the whole story in my previous columns (here, here and here). I have included some pictures of these legends.

Steve and Walt at SIMS.

Another big event for Hog Radio was spending Saturday December 13th doing an all day live show from the floor of the Seattle International Motorcycle Show. Joining Walt and I at our booth was my son Nathaniel, friend Alan Boyd and John Davis, editor and publisher of Northwest Cycle Report. Thanks guys, I couldn’t have done it without your help. We had a great day interviewing various reps, vendors and individuals who were exhibiting at the show. You can listen to all 4 hours worth of interviews at hogradio.net. I’ve included some pictures of the event.

Talk about December, I don’t have to tell anyone that we’ve had the longest stretch of snow in the Puget Sound region I can ever remember. Of all things it began on the weekend of the IMS and has continued through today. Suffice it to say we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS.

Speaking of snow now is a great time to start planning your summer rides/trips. There are so many great roads to explore here in the Northwest and BC/Washington State region. One idea is a trip up to see where the Winter Olympics will be held. This can make for a great 1 day ride or you can make it a 2 day depending on what you plan to see and do. Make sure to come down through the Frazer River gorge area, stop in at Hope and read all about the filming of the first Rambo movie which was filmed there and have your picture taken with your head on Rambo’s body at the Visitor center!

A quick nice off road trek is to head up to Chuckanut Mountain while meandering along Chuckanut Drive. The forest service road is just above Larabee State Park and it takes you to the top of Chuckanut Mountain where after parking you can walk to the top and view all the San Juan Islands and then you can climb to the ridge and view almost every mountain peak from Baker to Hood. I remember doing this on my 78 Yamaha 650 while my buddy rode his KZ1000 we made it almost to the top before we had to park the bikes and hoof it up the last leg of the dirt road. It was near sunset and boy was it a spectacular view.

As a last thought I would love to know what percentage of you who read this column belong to an organized riding club or don’t. I’d like your feedback on the pluses and minuses if any of belonging or not belonging. Please respond in the feedback section. If you wish you can mention the group/club and what type of Motorcycle you ride.

Feel free to contact me at www.hogradio.net (Use the Contact form) and let me know what personalities or topics you would like us to cover on Hog Radio. Thanks.

Ride safe and have a happy and productive New Year!

Steve Johann – Producer/Co-Host of Hog Radio www.hogradio.net

Now that most of the runs are over with the exception of Christmas runs and “Polar Bear” runs. It means you will be looking for things to do that involve your passion as a bike owner and rider. I would like to offer you some suggestions to get you through the next few months.

International Motorcycle Show. This years Seattle IMS show will be held December 12^th -14^th, same place same time as last years show. Attending the IMS show afford you the opportunity to talk with manufacturers reps and sit on the latest rides from every maker in the world all in one place.

I was speaking with the coordinator for IMS and he said that numbers are up from last year. We discussed the reason and couldn’t nail it down other than many old riders are now seeking to get back into riding and there are a lot of newbie’s interested in riding and they are coming out to see what is being offered.

Good news! Hog Radio will have a booth and be doing a “Live” show all day Saturday at the Seattle IMS. We will have our booth set up so you can come by say hello and sign up for a chance to win free books published by Motor books International. We will be interviewing manufacturer reps all day long. John Davis publisher of NW Cycle Report will be assisting us, so make it a point to stop by.

Biker Movies. That’s right some of us enjoy kicking back and watching movies on those dark dreary nights and what better time to rent some old and newer bike oriented movies. My wife and I just finished watching Mad Max 1979 the original in the trilogy of Max movies. Mad Max is a straight out Biker movie harkening back to the 60’s bad boy biker flicks. Here are just a few examples:

Electra Glide in Blue. This mid 70’s crime drama/mystery style movie centers on motorcycle cops, specifically a very young Robert Blake as the cycle cop who sets about investigating a mysterious death.

The Billy Jack franchise. As a kid in high school I remember viewing a couple of these at the local drive in movie. In all, there are four movies created featuring Billy Jack, beginning with Born Losers and the later self titled “Billy Jack”movies. Billy Jack makes it his business to butt heads with anyone who is a bully. The movies have some subtle political undertones to them but they offer up plenty of pre Chuck Norris karate kicks to keep you well entertained.

The Wild One. 1953 The Wild One is the Granddaddy of all biker movies. This film is a classic Film Noir style movie It features a young Marlon Brando as a thug MC leader who comes to a small town and begins to harass the locals. It features a very entertaining pre-rap rap scene it the café. This movie in many ways formed the Bad Boy biker image which still remains to this day.

There are probably well over 60 movies that prominently feature bikes as part of their theme. So you will have no problem finding something that fits your fancy.

For those who enjoy Sport Bike Racing there are plenty of Documentaries highlighting the life and times of various Racers, many of which are put out by White Horse Publishing.

Hog Radio. Go to www.hogradio.net and spend some time with us as we chat about and interview some very interesting guests that live, breath and contribute to the world of riding. We are about entertaining, educating and inspiring you the rider. So come on by and take a listen if you haven’t done so. Make us a part of your weekly ritual.

Forums. Biker Forums are places for riders to congregate and chat about you guessed it all things bike related. From American made to Metrics, Cruisers to Sport bikes there is a place for everyone. Forums can be a wealth of information depending on what you are looking for.

Restoration Clubs. There are a number of clubs who specialize in doing just this. These clubs are dedicated to restoring vintage bikes Metrics to American made bikes. For those of you who have dreamed about finding and restoring your first bike these clubs can be a valuable source and support to you.

Motorcycle Museums. There are a number of motorcycle museums located across the US and Canada. I recommend doing a Google search for motorcycle museum and see what comes up. Spending a few hours with your friends or family at one of these museums can be a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday.

Good Books. As the producer of Hog Radio I get a chance to do a lot of reading or at least skimming of the various books we receive as part of our Author interviews. MBI is a great source of books relating to motorcycles and riding. The library is another good resource. Books, be they pictorial or textual offer readers a chance to share in the adventure and or gain insights into their favorite riders or builders life.

Dealer Events. Many cycle dealers offer monthly events designed to pull you in during off season months. They can be a great place to come by, hang out and grab some free grub and hook up with your riding buddies. There’s nothing like spending a couple hours with fellow enthusiasts shooting the breeze and looking at the latest gear. Don’t forget while you’re there, to pick up some stocking stuffers.

I hope these ideas will give you plenty of indoor activities to keep your passion burning as you wait out the rain, snow and icy roads until you can once again hit the open highways and byways. And for those who ride 365 take it easy out their and ride safe!

Photo by CarbonNYC

For many, winter means parking the bike and waiting out the cold, wet, gray months that take over from November through February. For some, it just means putting on warmer clothing and getting out the heavy duty rain gear.

I have a few words to the wise for both camps.

1. Watch it out there. People in the Puget Sound who drive cars, trucks and RV’s will panic when the roads get wet. Many of the imports (people born outside the Puget Sound region) have no clue about driving in less than perfect conditions.
2. You’re invisible. When the dark moist days hit visibility in most cars drops by as much as 60%. Think about how many of us drive everyday in fogged up cars for the first few miles until our windows defrost. While this takes place you cannot see much around you; especially a small two wheeled vehicle like a motorcycle.
3. Night vision ain’t day vision, baby. Remember your visibility and clarity at night drops significantly for both cyclists and drivers. So please drive slower and look around you more often. Do not hug bumpers; the truck in front of you can’t see you.

Here are a few things that you can do to make the most out of the winter days.

1. Buy a reflective safety vest and wear it. Yes, you may look like a flagger, but your life is worth it.
2. You might think about an upgrade in the horn department. The louder the better. Many bikes come with horns that sound weak and can’t be heard in many of today’s sound proof vehicles. A truck style air horn just may save your life.
3. Make sure you have bright headlamps and tail lights. Older cycles may be in need of high tech riding lights, the brighter the better.
4. Make sure that your equipment is in top condition. Start with tire pressure and tread wear. There are some great aftermarket tires out there designed to offer riders exceptional handling. But follow the pressure guide on the new tires for proper inflation. Many of the aftermarket tires have a much higher tire pressure than the stock tires. The mistake by some riders is to keep the same air pressure in the new tires they did in the old ones. Bad move.
5. Enjoy the cold days. As an enthusiast I can say I’ve had some of my best short rides on crisp, clear Saturday afternoons. Not a lot of people out on a cold January day as most are in watching football or out at the mall shopping. This makes for some very open roads. Did I say open? You know what I mean.
6. Use the down time to fix and repair any thing that needs to be tended to or that you put off during the prime riding season. For some this may mean stripping the bike down and getting a new paint job. For others it may mean a complete engine overhaul or tune up and lube.
7. Catch up on your movie watching. Go to your favorite DVD/Video outlet and rent a few old 60’s or 70’s biker movies. Start with Electra Glide in Blue – not a true cycle movie but a pretty tough and gritty movie involving a cop on an Electra Glide. Another good one is On Any Sunday. Even the local library system has Easy Rider and the granddaddy of them all, The Wild One. Just keep in mind, most of these biker flicks are adult fair and not geared to the kiddies.

The bottom line, whether you are a year-round rider or a fair weather rider, remember to drive safely and make the most out of our Puget Sound winters.

Finally, we had Flash Gordon, MD, author of Blood, Sweat, and 2nd Gear, on Hog Radio for an interview. As part of our interview we went over various real-life scenarios bikers come into. You would do well to listen to this episode as he gives a lot of great advice. Flash is an MD and a long time rider; he owns and rides an Aprilia and a BMW.

Have a great November and make sure to listen to Hog Radio as we will keep you entertained all winter long.

Steve Johann